1899 Hilda’s birth certificate shows that her father Ernest was an iron founder & is believed to have been a Freemason. In 1905, when Hilda was not quite 5.5, Ernest who contracted TB, died in a TB Sanatorium at Murhill, Winsley near Bradford-on-Avon, aged 41. Because their mother Maud was so concerned for their lungs & thought they ought to get out in the fresh air, she sent Hilda & Leslie every holidays to relations (probably her brother Fred Dawe) at ‘Crow’s Nest’, St Cleer, near Liskeard, Cornwall. Fred had a daughter Kitty (Maud’s first cousin) who, when a widow in 1950, married Isaac Foot, father of Michael Foot MP & Labour party leader.

1901 Census 4 Birch Grove, Taunton, Somerset. Ernest W Stevens, head, married, age 36, a Engineer Mechanical & Ironfounder, Employer, born Taunton, Somerset. Maud M Stevens, wife age 40, born St Cleer, Cornwall. Ernest L Stevens, son age 5 born Taunton. Hilda May Stevens, daughter age 1, born Taunton.

At some stage after her father’s death, Hilda & her mother (& possibly Leslie) moved to Bournemouth where Hilda attended Bournemouth High School (name changed to Talboy Heath School, May 1935). Documentation shows that Maud (& Hilda?) lived at some point at 64 ST Michael’s Road; The Gables, Pine Tree Crescent (Gables Nursing Home, 1918/19), where she made her will on 1st May, 1918; Basing Lodge, 9 St Switjins Road (which the 1918/19 Kelly’s Directory quotes Maud as the occupant).

1911 Census 23 Alexander Park, Bristol, Gloucestershire. Maud Mary stevens, head, age 49, widow, a boarding house keeper, born St Cleer, Cornwall. Hilda Mary Stevens, daughter, age 11 at School, born Taunton, Somerset. James Liddell, boarder age 36, single, a Manufacturers Agent, Iron, born Stirlingshire, Falkirk. Harold Denson Turner, boarder age 25, single, a Bank Clerk, born Godley, Chesire. Edward Cave, boarder, age 24, single, a Chartered Accountant, born Stourbridge, Worcestershire.

Leslie attened the Masonic School at Bushey, Herts & on 11th May 1911, when not quite 16, began working for Lloyds Bank at its Stroud, Glos branch. He is believed to have enlisted at Stroud on the outbreak of World War One in 1914 & served in the Somerset Light Infantry, reaching the rank of sergeant. He was badly wounded in c.1915, loosing the sight of his right eye & given an honourable discharge. After a fairly lengthy convalescence, he joined Lloyds Salisbury Branch (1916/17??).

In June 1917, Hilda began work as a shorthand typist at Lloyd’s Bank (Southbourne Branch) in Bournemouth. She looked after her mother when she became seriously ill. When her mother died in January 1919, Leslie arranged for Hilda’s transfer to the Salisbury Branch, where she found digs in Fowlers Hill & lived with old Mrs Folliott until her marriage in 1929.

1921 Census 10 Marlborough Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Alfred Wheeler, head, age 76, widower, born Chelmarsh, Shropshire, a retired Headmaster. Amy Wheeler, daughter, age 45, single born Salisbury, a teacher at Bishop Wordsworth Secondary School, Salisbury. Mable Annie Wheeler, daughter, age 41, single, born Salisbury, home duties. Francis Reginald Bain, boarder, age 23, single, born Leamington, Warwickshire, a Bank clerk, Lloyd’s Bank, Blue Boar Row, Salisbury. Hilda Mary Stevens, boarder, age 21 10 months, single, born Wellington, Somerset, a Bank Clerk, Lloyds Bank, Blue Boar Row, Salisbury.

At Lloyds, she worked with Dorothy Cooper who was later to train as a midwife & eventually delivered both of Hilda’s children. Hilda was very sociable person in younger days, attending Dorothy’s parties & teaching Dorothy’s future husband Eustace Jackson to dance. Both she & Leslie were very popular at these parties because Leslie, who had a fine tenor voice, used to sing & Hilda, who was a very good pianist, accompanied him. She had many admirers & everyone was astonised that she chose Cuthbert Osmond, who was so delicate. She had, in fact, been engaged beforehand to a Dick Moberly, but had broken it off.

She met Cuthbert through the Salisbury Operatic Society as he used to help Walter Alcock with the accompaniment. She was very bright, talented & outgoing & a leading light both in the dramatic & operatic societies, taking leading parts & she obviously made an impact on Cuthbert. He proposed to her several times before she eventually accepted him & they married appropriately enough at Salisbury Cathedral where he had been Assistant Organist.

1926 The Western Gazette, Friday,October 29, 1926. “The Merchant of Venice”. Salisbury Dramatic Society’s Performance. Help for Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dancers and Singers Hilda Stevens. Also ‘The incidental music, composed by Frederick Rosse, Cuthbert Osmond, and Franz Schubert, was beautifully played by an orchestra, under Mr Cuthbert Osmond, as follows:..’

1928 The Western Gazette, Friday, February 10, 1928. “Ambrose Applejohn’s Adventure.” Salisbury Amateurs in Comedy Performance. ‘… His greatest test comes in the mutiny scene in the second act, when the half timid Ambrose of the Cornish drawingroom becomes the blustering pirate Applejack. This scene altogether was well enacted, but Mr Haynes’ good stage craft was the rallying influence. Miss Hilda Stevens brought to the part of Poppy all the truly womanlike characteristics that the playwright intended for her. A strikingly good piece of acting on Miss Stevens part was Poppy’s betrayal by subtle gesture of her intuitive mistrust of Anna Valeska, a thief and imposter whom Ambrose so innocently befriended.

1929 Notes on Hilda prepared by Stephen Osmond March 2005: ‘Newspaper cutting: OSMOND : STEVENS - On the 27th July., at Salisbury Catherdral by the Rev. Allen A de Vere, assisted by the Ven Archdeacon of Sarum & the Rev. Canon Myers, CUTHBERT EDWARD, youngest son of the late Walter W OSMOND, forerly of Alderbury, to HILDA MARY, only daughter of the let ERNEST W STEVENS of Taunton.

A letter written by Cuthbert’s mother described their wedding: how the guests sat in the Choir; the wedding ceremony itself was held in front of the Bishop’s throne & at the High Altar with the clergy in copes, a full choir with music played by Sir Walter Alcock, the cthedral’s organist. There was a large crowd watching the ceremony from the nave which “behaved quite reverently”. 120 attended the reception at St Ann’s Manor, just outside the Cathedral Close in St Ann’s Street, where the wedding presents were displayed. Hilda & Cuthbert then honeymooned in Exeter & then had two weeks in Port Isaac, north Cornwall.

At the time of their marriage, Cuthbert was teaching music at Bryanston School near Blandford & when they returned from Cornwall, they moved into a little cottage recently altered & done up on the school’s estate & set up home there. In mid-September, they invited Cuthbert’s mother to stay & celebrate her 68th birthday with them. Maude recounted her time at Bryanston in a letter to her eldest daughter Gwen, giving a small glimpse of social life there, where there was a relaxed community spirit with much music-making - a situation that Hilda appears to have easily adapted to & into which she was quickly accepted.

Their time at Bryanston was to be short because in June the following year, Cuthbert was appointed organist st St Albans Cathedral & he & Hilda moved to their new home, 4 Belmont Hill, in St Albans in the August. It was while at Bryanston that they were given pet dog Nipper, who, when they moved to St Albans, saved their lives. Nipper woke them up one night by scratching on their bedroom door & Cuthbert opened it, found that escaped gas from the kitchen was so strong that it nearly knocked him down.

Hilda & Cuthbert lived at 4 Belmont Hill in St Albans for six years in which time their two sons were born. Neville in June 1932 & Stephen in March 1936 (both delivered at home by Hilda’s ex-colleague Dorothy Cooper).

When Cuthbert became ill in the autumn of 1936 due to overwork, he was forced to accept six months leave of absence. The family moved to a bungalow at Winterbourne near Salisbury for Cuthbert to convalesce. Sadly his condition deteriorated & on Cuthbert’s admission to the Infirmary, Hilda & her boys stayed at Mrs Folliott’s in Salisbury to be close for visiting. After Cuthbert’s death on 12th January 1937, they stayed on at Mrs Folliott’s for a few weeks before moving to ‘Four Winds’ with Phyllis Coggan & her family in Feb-Mar 1937.

On 1st April, Hilda returned to her old job at Lloyds Bank, Salisbury while she & the boys stayed with Phyllis until the autumn of 1939, when both families moved to Phyllis’s in-laws at Parsonage Farm, Startford-sub-Castle for a few months. When it became difficult to continue living at the farm, Hilda & her family had a further short spell back at Mrs Folliott’s until the lady’s death in June 1940. She & the boys then moved to Mrs Smith (Mrs Folliott’s former home help) in Waterloo Road, (off Southampton Road) where they were to stay until August, 1943 - interrupted by two short spells at Bemerton with Mrs Smith’s son & daughter-in-law, Cyril & Mary when Mrs Smith was ill in hospital.

In 1943, Hilda obtained the tenancy of 141 Wilton Road where the family lived until her death in 1952. Like her husband, Hilda suffered from poor health & during the summer of 1950, the house experienced a flash flood which left it very damp for many weeks, if not months. This contributed to her becoming seriously ill spending time convalescing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. She managed to enjoy a restful holiday at her friend Dorothy Cooper’s guest house at Porthleven in Cornwall in August 1951. It is believed that she fought to regain her health because she was determined to not leave her youngest son an orphan at the age of only 14. Although she did recover & was able to return to work, she fell ill again early in 1952 from which she never recovered.

She died at Salisbury Infirmary on 16th April 1952 & was buried three days later at Alderbury churchyard, but not as she had hoped, with her husband Cuthbert because his grave was not a double one she had thought.
March 2005.

Hilda and Cuthbert met through the Salisbury Operatic Society512

Probate: Osmond, Hilda Mary otherwise Hilda May of 141 Wilton-road Salisbury widow died 16 April 1952 at The General Infirmary Salisbury. Probate Winchester 13 June to Ernest Leslie Stevens bank manager and Walter Percival Osmond mathematician. Effects £1046 3s 7d

Wiltshire Baptisms Index. Cuthbert Edward Osmond was baptised 12 June 1904 at Alderbury parish church. His parents are Walter William & Maude Bartrum Osmond, residing at Clarendon, father’s occpuation architect. FMP

National School Admission Registers & Log-books - Bishop Wordworth’s Grammar School, Salisbury. Cuthbert Edward Osmond born 29.4.04 admitted 19.5.13 left 4.4.17 residing Clarendon Park, prior schooling home tuition, father’s occupation house & estate agent. Attended terms - Autumn 13, 14 & 16. Spring 14, 15 & 17, Summer 13, 14 & 16. Left due to ill and ‘to study for musical profession’.

1926 The Western Gazette, Friday,October 29, 1926. “The Merchant of Venice”. Salisbury Dramatic Society’s Performance. Help for Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. Dancers and Singers Hilda Stevens. Also ‘The incidental music, composed by Frederick Rosse, Cuthbert Osmond, and Franz Schubert, was beautifully played by an orchestra, under Mr Cuthbert Osmond, as follows:..’

Cuthbert attended Durham University. Taught at Bryanston School. Steve Osmond

BIOPIC WRITTEN BY STEPHEN OSMOND 12th April 2009
Cuthbert was born at ‘Chowringhee’, Alderbury near Salisbury, Wilts on Friday 29th April, 1904. He was to become a very gifted musician. He was playing the organ at the parish church when he was only eight years old. As a child, Cuthbert was heard to pray “Please God, make my left leg long enough to reach bottom G [on the organ’s foot pedal]”. At the age of 10, he initially studied under his uncle Harold Bartrum Osmond who was organist at St Peter’s Church, Thanet. Then, at the age of 12, he himself was appointed organist at Nunton Church close to Alderbury.

He became articled to Walter Alcock MVO, organist at Salisbury Cathedral, on his 14th birthday. He officially performed at a wedding for the first time as organist in the cathedral on 18th September in the same year. Having served his articles, he became Alcock’s assistant at the Cathedral until 1927.

Cuthbert was educated at home and at Bishop Wordsworth Grammar School in Salisbury. His life was greatly handicapped by ill health, largely heart trouble following rheumatic fever contracted in 1915. Bad floods occurred in Salisbury in January of that year which extended into the cathedral and the consequent dampness from those floods may well have contributed to his illness. One of his peers who attended Miss Glades-Smith’s music studio in Brown Street, Salisbury remembers: “Not all her pupils were children; she also had adult students and one of them was Cuthbert Osmond, the brilliant assistant cathedral organist who died tragically young. He achieved local fame by playing ‘Tea for Two’ as an impromptu voluntary to a surprised, yet appreciative, congregation at a Sunday matins in the cathedral.”

A young New Zealand cousin recounted a story told to her by a friend visiting England: “….Young Cuthbert, your uncle, was at 16 years of age, the assistant organist at Salisbury. The organist, Dr. Alcock, seemed to be away most of the time..…So Cuthbert trained the choir & often played his own compositions. I have been up the organ loft with him – [he was] like an old man with the choir – but at home, an ordinary mischievous boy of 16…..Your mother used to write Christmas plays to which your uncle Cuthbert wrote incidental music.” The young cousin remembered being told by her mother that Cuthbert was very good at mimicking bird song.

Philip Swatman, a former Salisbury Cathedral Chorister (1921-1924) recollected in 1994:
“…I remember him well – always serenely happy, never lost his temper however badly we sang. We had every confidence in him; he would always see us through in a difficult piece. Alcock was away at the Royal College for at least two days in every week. I never heard a cross word between him and your father, yet Sir Walter (as he later became) needed no provocation to run down certain well-known organists. Your father never threw his weight about – he had no need to – his personal charm seemed to keep everyone on an even keel.

“I was no judge then of organ playing, but I found the style of your father’s playing perhaps more interesting than the always correct Walter Alcock. Your father never talked of his home life and never mentioned his contacts or his great ability. He found time to play a lot of cricket with us, both in the field and in the nets, and always appeared willing to umpire. Two of the junior schoolmasters persuaded your father to play Wagner’s music on the mighty Willis. They used to do this of an evening. I can imagine your father saying “It won’t be good, but it will be loud”. The spire is still standing! I feel privileged to have known a very great gentleman”.

Cuthbert matriculated as an external student of Durham Cathedral in 1921 and passed his first BMus exam in March 1923. He submitted his exercise in March 1924 and passed his second BMus exams in September 1925 and on 15th December was awarded his degree. Eight years later in 1932, he studied for his doctorate and in the January, submitted his statutory exercise. Although this was passed with the examiner’s comments of “modern but artistic and well scored”, he failed his exams in March 1934.

He entered the Royal College of Music in September 1924 to take his first study Piano under Thomas Fielden and Herbert Fryer and afterwards Harmony & Counterpoint. He then studied Composition under Armstrong Gibbs and his second study was Organ under Henry Ley. He gained both the Royal College of Organists’ diplomas in the same year (1926), qualifying for the ARCO on 22nd January with what is thought to be the highest marks ever attained for the examination up to that date, and becoming FRCO on 23rd July, being bracketed first on this occasion. In 1927, he was awarded the Arthur Sullivan Prize of £10, followed by the Folio Scholarship of £15 a year later. He was then awarded the RCM Certificate of Proficiency in Harmony on 31st May, 1928. He wrote his orchestral symphony in E flat between September 1927 and January 1928 whilst at RCM and dedicated it to Adrian Boult who conducted two of the movements at a Patrons’ Fund Concert on 30 November, 1928.

Amongst his many musical activities in Salisbury and district, Cuthbert assisted Walter Alcock in accompanying the Salisbury Musical Society & Operatic Society, through which he met his future wife, Hilda Stevens, whom he was to marry at the Cathedral on 27 July,1929. He was also one of the official accompanists to the Wiltshire Music Festival from May 1928 until 1936. The Festival’s 1930 Annual Report stated “…This [Festival] orchestra is composed of amateur players who meet during the winter months under the conductorship of Mr. Cuthbert Osmond, were warmly congratulated by Dr Bairstow on their work. He said that they had improved beyond all recognition.” The 1933 Annual Report recorded “… Our thanks are also due to the accompanists…and to Mr. Cuthbert Osmond who also conducted the final concert with much inspiration and ability…” The Wiltshire Gazette also reported on this last concert: “…[it] was a fitting climax to this year’s Festival, so far as the musical section was concerned….one would have liked people to have taxed the hall’s capacity, if only to hear the really magnificent and gripping rendering by the massed choirs, accompanied by the Festival orchestra of Stanford’s setting of the W.E.Henley’s Last Post. It was a great performance and all the singers and instrumentalists, as well as Mr. Cuthbert Osmond, who conducted, are to be heartily commended….”

Cuthbert became the first music master at Bryanston School near Blandford Forum, Dorset when it was opened in January, 1928. Within weeks of his marriage to Hilda in 1929, Cuthbert entertained his widowed mother Maude in the couple’s first home at Bryanston. Maude was to describe this visit (possibly rather biasely!) in a letter to her daughter Gwen in New Zealand written only a few days after she returned home to Salisbury:

“….There are various people connected with the School living in houses on the estate, all such cultured, delightful people, without a speck of “side” or snobbishness: perfectly delightful society it is. The great thing to do is to drop in at each other’s houses after 7 o’clock supper, by turns, and have music etc. Of course Cuthbert is in great request, and it is lovely to see how very much he & Hilda are liked. The day I arrived the James’ (2nd Master & wife) came after supper and we sang right through Brahms’ Requiem in an informal way. Next day we were at the Martins’ (Bursar) - & so it went on. I had a feast of music, for Cuthbert played to me a lot and also he has a lovely gramophone with most beautiful records. I was dreadfully sorry to come away, for I did so enjoy being there….”

In June, 1930, Cuthbert was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers of St Albans Abbey Cathedral, Herts, taking up his appointment shortly after his move to St Albans on 29th August, 1930. Besides his work at the Cathedral, he was also invited to be the Hon. Conductor of the St Albans Bach Choir, following the death of his predecessor Mr. W L Luttman earlier that same year. During his six years with them, the choir performed Medelssohn’s Elijah (1932), Brahms’ Song of Destiny and his Requiem (1933) when Dr Henry Ley was invited to play. In 1934, the choir performed Parry’s The Songs of Farewell and Blest Pair of Syrens and later in the year Stanford’s Stabat Mater.

The following season saw the choir perform Vaughan Williams’ Carol Fantasia & Ring Out ye Crystal Spheres when Dr. Harold Darke, champion of composers like Vaughan Williams, was very aptly invited to play. In December 1935, Cuthbert arranged a combined performance with the St Alban’s Orchestral Society of Bach’s Mass in B minor. The 1936-37 season was to be Cuthbert’s last when the choir performed Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and George Dyson’s Three Songs of Praise in the April.

During his time at St Albans, Cuthbert was greatly handicapped by poor health and in the autumn of 1936, he was forced to accept six month’s leave of absence due to overwork, in the hope that a long rest would restore his strength, but sadly, this was never realised. He, together with Hilda and their young family, moved to a rented cottage near Salisbury for him to convalesce and he died on 12th January, 1937 at Salisbury Infirmary, three months short of his 33rd birthday and barely 24 hours after his mother had been buried.

A correspondent of the Salisbury & Winchester Journal wrote three days after he died: “ His acute sense of humour showed itself in an appreciation of the harmless fun that can be got out of life. Who but he could have sat in the loft of Salisbury Cathedral, as he did years ago, playing to an enraptured congregation a voluntary that was but an improvisation of a popular musical comedy? Who, in the same spirit, would have consented to play dance music at a wedding? And who could have given such pleasure as he and another gave to me sitting alone in the Cathedral one summer’s night as dusk was falling, the one at the organ, the other singing for their mutual enjoyment – and mine.”

The Dean of St Albans wrote a tribute to Cuthbert in the St Albans Abbey Magazine, which included the following:

“…Our memory of him is a memory of happiness; of a ready-smile, breaking into mirth and glee. Ill-health & long weary days of weakness could not conquer his cheer – one who visited him on the day before he passed over records that he was happy & hopeful & merry still… There was no pose or pretence about Cuthbert Osmond. He loved his music and lived for it. To him that was a great exercise of his art & a great act of worship….Indeed, his modesty and lack of concern to hide any shortcoming in his profession by reason of youth or lack of experience and equipment was in a sense a handicap to him. It was not in him to bluff, and sometimes his diffidence diminished the quality of his results. But he was always an inspired player, and he was so full of music and enthusiasm that, when conducting, he pulled it out of others. He had that rare gift of making people want to sing.

“Those of us who, perhaps without thought or thanksgiving, habitually enjoy robust health, can yet try to realize how much it cost him to give himself so completely to the exacting practice of his art and work. A stronger man could have undertaken more teaching, and more outside engagements. The wonder of Cuthbert Osmond is that he overcame his weakness to achieve so much”.

S E Osmond (12th April, 2009)509

Article by Stephen Osmond.
Cuthbert was born at ‘Chowringhee’, Alderbury near Salisbury, Wilts on Friday 29th April, 1904. He was to become a very gifted musician. He was playing the organ at the parish church when he was only eight years old. As a child, Cuthbert was heard to pray “Please God, make my left leg long enough to reach bottom G [on the organ’s foot pedal]”. At the age of 10, he initially studied under his uncle Harold Bartrum Osmond who was organist at St Peter’s Church, Thanet. Then, at the age of 12, he himself was appointed organist at Nunton Church close to Alderbury.

He became articled to Walter Alcock MVO, organist at Salisbury Cathedral, on his 14th birthday (29th January,1918). He officially performed at a wedding for the first time as organist in the cathedral on 18th September in the same year. Having served his articles, he became Alcock’s assistant at the Cathedral until 1927.

Cuthbert was educated at home and at Bishop Wordsworth Grammar School in Salisbury. His life was greatly handicapped by ill health, largely heart trouble following rheumatic fever contracted in 1915. Bad floods occurred in Salisbury in January of that year which extended into the cathedral and the consequent dampness from those floods may well have contributed to his illness. One of his peers who attended Miss Glades-Smith’s music studio in Brown Street, Salisbury remembers: “Not all her pupils were children; she also had adult students and one of them was Cuthbert Osmond, the brilliant assistant cathedral organist who died tragically young. He achieved local fame by playing ‘Tea for Two’ as an impromptu voluntary to a surprised, yet appreciative, congregation at a Sunday matins in the cathedral.”

A young New Zealand cousin recounted a story told to her by a friend visiting England: “….Young Cuthbert, your uncle, was at 16 years of age, the assistant organist at Salisbury. The organist, Dr. Alcock, seemed to be away most of the time..…So Cuthbert trained the choir & often played his own compositions. I have been up the organ loft with him – [he was] like an old man with the choir – but at home, an ordinary mischievous boy of 16…..Your mother used to write Christmas plays to which your uncle Cuthbert wrote incidental music.” The young cousin remembered being told by her mother that Cuthbert was very good at mimicking bird song.

Philip Swatman, a former Salisbury Cathedral Chorister (1921-1924) recollected in 1994: “…I remember him well – always serenely happy, never lost his temper however badly we sang. We had every confidence in him; he would always see us through in a difficult piece. Alcock was away at the Royal College for at least two days in every week. I never heard a cross word between him and your father, yet Sir Walter (as he later became) needed no provocation to run down certain well-known organists. Your father never threw his weight about – he had no need to – his personal charm seemed to keep everyone on an even keel.

“I was no judge then of organ playing, but I found the style of your father’s playing perhaps more interesting than the always correct Walter Alcock. Your father never talked of his home life and never mentioned his contacts or his great ability. He found time to play a lot of cricket with us, both in the field and in the nets, and always appeared willing to umpire. Two of the junior schoolmasters persuaded your father to play Wagner’s music on the mighty Willis. They used to do this of an evening. I can imagine your father saying “It won’t be good, but it will be loud”. The spire is still standing! I feel privileged to have known a very great gentleman”.

Cuthbert matriculated as an external student of Durham University in 1921 and passed his first BMus exam in March 1923. He submitted his exercise in March 1924 and passed his second BMus exams in September 1925 and on 15th December was awarded his degree. Eight years later in 1932, he studied for his doctorate and in the January, submitted his statutory exercise. Although this was passed with the examiner’s comments of “modern but artistic and well scored”, he failed his exams in March 1934.

He entered the Royal College of Music in September 1924 to take his first study Piano under Thomas Fielden and Herbert Fryer and afterwards Harmony & Counterpoint. He then studied Composition under Armstrong Gibbs and his second study was Organ under Henry Ley. He gained both the Royal College of Organists’ diplomas in the same year (1926), qualifying for the ARCO on 22nd January with what is thought to be the highest marks ever attained for the examination up to that date, and becoming FRCO on 23rd July, being bracketed first on this occasion. In 1927, he was awarded the Arthur Sullivan Prize of £10, followed by the Folio Scholarship of £15 a year later. He was then awarded the RCM Certificate of Proficiency in Harmony on 31st May, 1928. He wrote his orchestral symphony in E flat between September 1927 and January 1928 whilst at RCM and dedicated it to Adrian Boult who conducted two of the movements at a Patrons’ Fund Concert on 30 November, 1928.

CUTHBERT OSMOND - AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Prior to going to the Royal College of Music, Cuthbert had been an external student at Durham University, where he gained his BMus in December 1925. He entered the RCM in September 1924 where his two major areas of study were to be Piano and Organ.

His tutors for Piano were Thomas Fielden, who had studied under Debussy and became professor of pianoforte at RCM in 1921, and Herbert Fryer, a gifted pianist, who had been on the Faculty of the RCM since 1917. Cuthbert’s second element in this study was Harmony and Counterpoint.

The third element was Composition, where he was tutored by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs, a contemporary of Arthur Bliss, Herbert Howells & Arnold Bax, and who had studied under Charles Wood, Adrian Boult (conducting) & Ralph Vaughan Williams (composition).

Cuthbert’s second major study was naturally the Organ, where this time his tutor was to be Henry Ley, who had himself been a pupil of Sir Walter Parratt and had become Professor of Organ at the RCM in 1919. During 1926, Cuthbert gained both the Royal College of Organists’ diplomas in the same year, gaining what is thought to be the highest marks ever attained up to that date for his ARCO & being bracketed first for his FRCO.

The RCM records show that by the time Cuthbert left in June 1928, he had gained an ARCM in composition; had been awarded the Arthur Sullivan Prize for composition in 1927 and the Foli Scholarship in 1928 - the latter giving him financial assistance during his last year at the college. In the May, he had been awarded the RCM Certificate of Proficiency in Harmony.

The most intriguing item on file was the record concerning fees paid by or for students, because written in pencil against Cuthbert’s name was: “Dr.Boult for fees”. Although its meaning is not entirely clear, it is thought that this may have been for extra study in composition and probably included consultation over Cuthbert’s orchestral symphony, (which was written between September 1927 and January 1928 and was an unusual undertaking for a student whilst at college), and more than likely reflected a private arrangement between Adrian Boult and Cuthbert, a practice which was known to occur occasionally, but rarely documented.

This probably explains why it is dedicated to Adrian Boult, who was to conduct two of the movements as a Patrons’ Fund Concert on 30th November, 1928, when Cuthbert was already the first music master at the newly opened Bryanston School in January 1928.

Indebted to:- Christopher Bornet, Deputy Libarian (Archives), Royal College of Music, Wikipedia, written by Stephen Osmond, October, 2010

RE-DISCOVERING the hand written copy of his father’s Symphony in E flat (Opus 11) in 2008, Stephen Osmond wondered if there was any way in which it could be performed. His daughter Jane once wrote to Jimmy Savile when he was hosting Jim’ll Fix It, but to no avail, and Stephen was well aware of the prohibitive costs involved in transcription and orchestral fees. But then Stephen hit upon an idea. As an old boy of Salisbury Cathedral School, he was visiting Salisbury in 2009 for a reunion. Stephen wrote to David Halls, the director of music at Salisbury Cathedral, to ask if he would be interested in looking at the symphony, written between 1927 and 1928 and dedicated to none less than the great English conductor, Sir Adrian Boult. For Stephen’s father had strong links with both the cathedral and the Salisbury area. His father was Cuthbert Osmond, who, on his 14th birthday, became articled to Walter Alcock, MVO, Salisbury Cathedral’s organist, before becoming assistant organist until 1927. This would be unheard of now, but this was 1918, and the young organist was already playing the organ at his parish church in Alderbury at the tender age of eight. Sadly, Stephen never knew his father as he was only nine months old when he died. He is buried in Alderbury churchyard, next to his parents (Walter and Maud and brother Arthur), as the family lived at Alderbury Hill House. “Re-discovering the rough score prompted me to delve into my father’s musical career and attempt to confirm and or clarify the stories I had been told about him all those years ago,” he said. Stephen was in possession of the hand written draft conductor’s score for the symphony, which he had stored away, and to his delight discovered that his brother Neville possessed the hand written copy of the instrumental parts. “This spurred both of us into action and when Neville catalogued all Cuthbert’s remaining music in our possession, I approached the musical director of my church, Warwick Cole, to seek his considered opinion of the symphony,” he added. The result of this meeting and of the meeting with David Halls last year, is that the symphony is going to be performed, with Warwick Cole transcribing the score and David Halls conducting the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. “It will be great to perform the work under the shadow of the church where Cuthbert Osmond’s genius was discovered,” said David Halls. “The symphony is Elgarian in style and it was quite something to have completed a symphony at the age of 24. It will be so interesting to bring this piece off the page,” he added. The rehearsal and performance will take place on a date in October and will be a private performance for family and friends, but will be recorded. “But,” added David, “you never know what the future holds,” not discounting the possibility of a future public performance. (Article published Salisbury Journal 17th October 2010)

See on file a handwriiten note by Neville listing all his father’s Music Scores, which have been passed to Steve Osmond his brother. 9th Nov 2008.

On file is a copy of Cuthbert’s Obituary from the Salisbury & Winchester Journal 15th Jan 1937

In the book, ‘Child of the Red Lion, An Hotelier’s Story’ by Molly Maidment, published 1989 their is a reference to Cuthbert on page 56. “Not all her pupils were children: she also had adult students and one of them was Cuthbert Osmond, the brilliant assistant Cathedral organist who died tragically young. He achieved local fame by playing “Tea for Two” as an impromptu voluntary to a surprised yet appreciative congregation one Sunday matins in the Cathedral.”510

Recollection of Cuthbert by Philip Swatman 29th November 1994. “Cuthbert Osmond: 1921-24, Recollections of Former Chorister at Salisbury Cathedral. As a chorister at Salisbury I remember him very well - always serenly happy, never lost his temper howver badly we sang. We had every confidence in him; he would always see us through in a difficult piece.
Alcock was away at the Royal College for at least two days in every week. I never heard a cross word between him and your father, yet Sir Walter as he later became needed no provocation to run down certain other well known organists.
Your father never threw his weight about - he had no need to - his personal charm seemed to keep everyone on an even keel.
I was no judge then of organ playing, but I found the style of your father’s playing perhaps more interesting than the always correct Walter Alcock. Your father never talked of his home life and never mentioned his contacts or his great ability.
He found time to play a lot of cricket with us, both in the field and the nets, and appeared always willing to umpire.
Two of the Junior Schoolmaster - one called Brodie - persuaded your father to play Wagner’s music on the mighty Willis. They used to do this of an evening. I can imagine your father saying “It won’t be good, but it will be loud”. The spire is still standing!
I feel privileged to have known a very great gentelman. Philip Swatman (29th November, 1994).”511

Probate. Osmond, Cuthbert Edward of 4 Belmont-hill, St Albans, Hertfordshire died 12 January 1937 at The General Infirmary Salisbury. Probate Winchester 25 January to Hilda Mary Osmond widow and Ernest Trevor James schoolmaster. Effects £495.